Walter Wick The creator of I SPY!

As a child… Walter Wick grew up in rural Connecticut with three older brothers and a younger sister

As a child… He loved exploring the nearby woods. He walked the neighborhood on stilts he made from tree limbs He also made skateboards out of old roller skates that he took apart and fastened to pieces of plywood. He says he “loved to tinker and build”

In High School… His first serious interest in art began with drawing and painting in high school His brother Robert, who worked part time at a camera store, introduced him to photography

In College… He studied photojournalism and landscape photography at the Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut After graduating in 1973, he worked as a lab technician and product photographer in a commercial studio in Hartford

Oops!....Wow! One of his first images came about almost by accident. He was organizing screws, paper clips and other odds and ends. As he began sorting, he liked the way the objects looked spread out on his light box. After hours of careful arranging, he took a picture. This photograph of odds and ends was the spark that helped inspire the first I Spy book! But that would take another 10 years.

Discovered! In 1985, the "Odds and Ends" photograph caught the eye of Jean Marzollo, the editor of "Let's Find Out", a kindergarten magazine. She asked him to do a colorful photograph of fasteners for a poster

I SPY is born! This poster, in turn, caught the eye of editors in the Scholastic book division. In 1991, he and Jean Marzollo collaborated on I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles

On his own… A Drop of Water: A Book of Science Wonder Walter Wick's Optical Tricks. Can You See What I See?: Picture Puzzles to Search and Solve

A Genius at Work Next are some behind the scenes photos of how Walter Wick creates the pictures for his books

I SPY: FANTASY

I SPY: FANTASY Here Walter Wick is making things appear to float on the page by gluing his treasures to a piece of glass

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: FANTASY Final image as it appears in the book

I SPY: FUN HOUSE

I SPY: FUN HOUSE Here Walter Wick is using mirrors to create an optical illusion

I SPY: FUN HOUSE Walter Wick had to use barbecue tongs to place his treasures on the set so he didn’t knock other pieces down with his hands or arms

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: FUN HOUSE Final image as it appears in the book

I SPY: SPOOKY NIGHT

I SPY: SPOOKY NIGHT Some materials used in this set were: wood, wire, Styrofoam, moss, and a rubber bat With the help of two assistants, this set was designed, built, and photographed in seven days.

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: SPOOKY NIGHT Final image as it appears in the book

I SPY: MYSTERY

I SPY: MYSTERY Inspired by childhood memories of his grandfather's attic, Walter Wick built an attic in his studio with an old window and paneling

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: MYSTERY Final image as it appears in the book

I SPY: SCHOOL DAYS

I SPY: SCHOOL DAYS Walter Wick used the kind of toys found in a typical classroom for this set He wasn't sure what to do at first so with the toys piled on a table, he began to experiment

I SPY: SCHOOL DAYS After about two weeks of trial and error, his contraption started to come together He continued for several more days to refine the design

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: SCHOOL DAYS Final image as it appears in the book

I SPY: SCHOOL DAYS When the balloon popper was finally complete, I took the final picture and Jean Marzollo wrote the riddle. I then decided to see if the machine would work. Do you think it worked?

I SPY: TREASURE HUNT

I SPY: TREASURE HUNT For this one, Walter Wick needed the help of a full-time assistant and three freelance model makers Model maker Bruce Morozko built the boat

I SPY: TREASURE HUNT Walter Wick made the water out of sheets of rippled Plexiglas (often used on shower doors) Look at the lighthouse in the picture at the right. It's too small and much too close to the boat. But in the final picture the lighthouse appears distant!

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: TREASURE HUNT Final image as it appears in the book

I SPY: CHRISTMAS

I SPY: CHRISTMAS This is one of Walter Wick’s favorites Some of the dolls are his wife's childhood toys. Others were borrowed from neighbors He dressed the set like an old toy shop window

Final image as it appears in the book I SPY: CHRISTMAS Final image as it appears in the book

Maybe one day you can take a hobby you love and turn it into your career like Walter Wick did!

Works Cited All pictures and information were obtained at: http://www.walterwick.com/index.htm All the clipart is from Microsoft Office